Thousands of protesters rally in Pakistani capital

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Thousands of Pakistanis fed up with a government they say is
corrupt and indifferent to the plight of common citizens descended on the capital
Monday, responding to the call of a charismatic cleric who has quickly become a
powerful but mysterious political force.

The dramatic entry into Pakistani politics of Tahir-ul-Qadri, a preacher who
until recently lived in Canada, has sparked concern from some that he is seeking
to derail elections expected this spring at the behest of the powerful army.

Qadri has denied those allegations and insisted his vaguely worded demands for
election reform are simply meant to root out corruption in the political system.
He pledged several weeks ago to lead a ‘‘million-man march’’ on Islamabad on Monday
to press his demands.

The turnout fell far short of Qadri’s promise, but there was no lack of enthusiasm
from the crowd. Many waved green and white Pakistani flags and wore buttons emblazoned
with the cleric’s picture. Although some spoke of election reform, most were focused
on demands like fixing the country’s rampant energy shortages and rooting out corruption.

‘‘There is no electricity and no gas, and the government has done nothing,’’
said Faizan Baig, a 23-year-old pharmaceutical company worker who traveled to Islamabad
from the northwest town of Abbottabad. ‘‘Qadri feels pain for the people, while
the government feels no pain for the people.’’

Baig was among about 10,000 people who streamed into the capital throughout the
day Monday and camped out on the main avenue running through the city. Male protesters
gathered on one side of the road while women and children were on the other, divided
by a grass median.

Qadri left his home base in the eastern city of Lahore on Sunday accompanied
by at least 15,000 people in hundreds of vehicles, but he had not yet arrived in
Islamabad by Monday evening. The cleric said the crowd would grow to 100,000 people
by the time it reached the capital.

Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik, who has not hidden his disdain for
Qadri, estimated the total crowd in Islamabad would not exceed 25,000.

The government set up dozens of shipping containers in the capital to prevent
protesters from reaching key government areas. Thousands of paramilitary forces
and police in riot gear were also deployed throughout the city and cell phones were
jammed after the government warned that militants were planning to attack the protesters.

The demonstrators established a make-shift stage on top of one of the shipping
containers set up by the government, and people took turns delivering fiery speeches
extolling Qadri. Helicopters providing security buzzed low overhead to the delight
of the protesters, who waved their flags and cheered.

‘‘I have responded to the call of our leader for a revolution,’’ said Mohammed
Aslam, a 52-year-old farmer who traveled from the central Pakistani city of Sargodha.
‘‘The country’s leaders usually ignore the voice of the poor, but I think this event
may change that.’’

Qadri returned to Pakistan in December after years in Canada, where he’s also
a citizen. He heads a religious network in Lahore and gained some international
prominence by writing a 2010 fatwa, or religious opinion, condemning terrorism.

But he was never a national political figure until this winter, when his calls
for reforms ahead of elections galvanized many Pakistanis disenchanted by the existing
parties. The cleric’s vaguely worded demands include vetting of political candidates
to make sure they’re honest and taking steps to even out the playing field so more
people can participate in the political process.

Qadri has pledged that he and his supporters will remain in Islamabad until their
demands are met, and many brought food and blankets with them so they could hunker
down. That could set up a clash with the government.

Some of Qadri’s comments have sparked concern that the cleric is a front for
the Pakistani military to disrupt the democratic process just as it prepares for
a historic transfer of power from one civilian government to another.

He has called for a military role in picking the caretaker government that will
take over temporarily ahead of elections and has said it could stay in place longer
than normal to enact necessary reforms.

Those comments, as well as questions about where his funding is coming from,
have sparked fears Qadri is really trying to derail the upcoming vote on behalf
of the military, which is believed to dislike both the main political parties vying
for power, and pave the way for a military-backed caretaker to hold power indefinitely.
Qadri has denied any such involvement.